Laila Faerman

Laila Faerman is a multi-faceted vocal artist known for her soulful, velvety voice, which is both powerful and sensitive in its delivery, and for her wide-ranging repertoire. Growing up, Laila was deeply inspired by the legendary Whitney Houston, whose vocal prowess shaped her own love for music. Born into a musical family, Laila was introduced to classical music early on and studied classical piano before continuing her training with Pamela Kucenic, a soloist at the Metropolitan Opera.

Laila’s musical journey has taken her to renowned venues in New York City, such as the Metropolitan Room, Cleopatra’s Needle, and Webster Hall, where she has showcased both classic standards and her own compositions. Her eclectic musical interests span genres from jazz and French chanson to pop, folk, and classical music, blending these influences into a distinctive style.

In 2011, Laila’s music took a transformative turn when she was deeply influenced by the spiritual teachings of Bengali meditation teacher, artist, and poet Sri Chinmoy. This inspiration led her to perform as a soloist in the Gandharva Loka Orchestra at notable events, including the “Songs of the Soul” concert at NYU Skirball Auditorium and performances in Duif Kirk, Amsterdam. From 2014 to 2016, Laila performed with the Gandharva Loka Orchestra in venues across the US and Europe. She toured with “Concerts for Peace” from 2018 to 2020, performing in prestigious venues such as the Rudolfinum Dvorak Hall in Prague, Teatro Regio Torino in Italy, and Bulgaria Hall in Sofia. She has also performed in the US, Europe, and Asia, blending meditative music with her original compositions.

In 2022, Laila released “Awake! Arise! Songs of Sri Chinmoy,” an album featuring music written by Sri Chinmoy. The album showcases 11 talented musicians from Austria, Switzerland, and the United States, blending international styles with world fusion arrangements. Laila co-produced the album with two-time Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Misha Tsiganov, who also arranged the music. Combining modern jazz and contemporary classical styles, the album was mixed and mastered by multi-Grammy-winning sound engineer David Darlington. “Awake! Arise!” has received excellent reviews, with praise from Jazz Weekly, the JW Vibe, and O’s Jazz Place Magazine. Laila’s music is now available on all digital platforms.

As a chess expert and professional coach, Laila merges her two passions—chess and music—by organizing and performing at the popular Checkmate & Chill events in New York City, which draw sold-out crowds for this unique fusion of culture. Laila has also performed at the renowned Marshall Chess Club, including as a featured artist at their 2022 and 2023 Holiday Concerts, where her soulful voice added a special touch to the festivities.

In 2023, fate brought Laila together with her dream producer, the multi-Grammy award-winning Narada Michael Walden, at Tarpan Studios in San Francisco. Both deeply influenced by their spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy, they began collaborating on exciting new projects—stay tuned! As fate would have it, Narada also produced Whitney Houston’s music, bringing Laila’s journey full circle with her greatest inspiration.